Electric candle



(No Model.)

L. SOLIGNAC.

V ELECTRIC CANDLE. No. 257,776. Patented May 9, 1882.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR BY fi 7W ATTORNEY N, PETERS. PholwLvlhugrJphen Washington. 0. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.-

LOUIS SOLIGNAO, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO THE JABLOCHKOFF ELECTRIC LIGHTING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC CANDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,776, dated May 9, 1882.

Application filed January 4, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis SOLIGNAG, of Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Candles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric candles of the construction in which the arc is formed between two conducting sticks or pencils placed parallel to one another and separated, or surrounded, or having in association with them a mass of isolating material which is consumed with the conducting sticks or pencils, and by its incandescence adds to the size of the luminous source and improves the quality of the light. This form of candle is known as the Jablochkotf candle. Hitherto it has been difficult to employ a continuous electric current, or one which flows constantly in the same direction with this kind of electric lamp, on account of the unequal wear of the conductor sticks, pencils, or carbons.

It is well known that-in electric lamps there is a transfer of material from the positive pole to the negative under the action of continuous currents,so that the negative pole wears away much more slowly than the positive. Under these conditions the carbons of the Jablochkoff candle, when of the same size, wear unequally, and finally the distance between the carbon points becomes so great that the candle is extinguished. This difficultylcd to the employment of alternate current-generatorsthat is, of machines in which currents of opposite polarity or direction succeed one another. In order, however, to allow of the employment of continuous-current machines, it hasbeen proposed to make the com'luctorstieks or carbons of dilTerent diameter. It was found in practice, however, that the negative or smaller carbon, offering too great a resistance to the current, heats, reddeus, and is disaggregated, so that finally extinction results.

My invention consists in equalizing the resistance of two sticks of different size by combining with the negative or smaller carbon of the candle a wire, sheath, or core of a material (preferably a metal) that is a better conductor of electricity than the carbon. By these means the smaller or negative carbon is consumed without reddening, and if the di- Patent d in France March 7, 1879, No. 129,743.

ameters of the two carbons are properly proportioned they will burn evenly, like the ordinaryeandles, under the action of alternate currents.

My invention will be readily understood y from the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a horizontal transverse section, of the candle.

it represents the negative carbon; 1), a metallic wire embedded therein; 0, the solid carbon of the positive pole, and t1 the isolating substance.

The advantages of the above improvement are as follows:

First, I am enabled tonse acontinnous current, instead of an alternating current, machine, thus diminishing very largely the motive power consumed.

Second, with equal amounts of power consumed in generating continuous currents the quantity of light is much greater.

I do not limit myself to a metallic core, as it is obvious that a metallic sheath or piating may be used in its stead, or that the metallic conductor may be let into the side of the carbon. Transverse sections of candles containing these modifications are shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3 the metallic conductor is let into the side of the carbon instead of being placed in its center. In Fig. 4 the smallercirbon is shown as having alnetallicsheath. Nor do 1 limit myself to candles in which the positive and negative poles are of carbon, as it is obvious that the improvement does not depend upon the particular kind of stick or pencil em ployed.

It is also plain that my improvement is applicable to these forms of candle in which the parallel conductors are separated by an airspace, or thosein which other means are used in place of theisolating substance for preventing the formation of the electric are at any point excepting at the ends of the conductors.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with two parallel conductor sticks or pencils, one of which is approximately twice the size of the other, of a wire, core, or sheath composed of a. material that is a better conductor of electricity than the material of said pencils, said wire, core, or

pencils in the niaiiher described, whereby the resistanc'eof the two combustible sticks or penoils of difierentsizc is equalizeihas and for the purpose set forth.

2. An electric candle composed of two parallel sticks of carbon separated by insulating sheath bei gapplicd to the smaller of the two I l l material, one of which is npproxmmtely half I the size of the other, and is provided with a metallic conducting core, sheath, or Wire, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

LOUIS SOLIGNAU. Witnesses:

FRED. ALLAIN,

3 Rue Scribe, Paris. R0131. M. HooPER. 

